NH Liquor Commission raises $100,000 in support of NH Food Bank

COURTESY
CONCORD ─ New Hampshire Liquor Commission (NHLC) customers and staff have raised more than $100,000 in support of the New Hampshire Food Bank’s efforts to end hunger in New Hampshire. NHLC raised donations through collection cans labeled with the New Hampshire Food Bank logo located in the check-out area of all 79 NH Liquor & Wine Outlets. NHLC made the formal donation, which reflects the total amount raised dating to July 2015, last week at the NH Liquor & Wine Outlet at the Northbound Hooksett Welcome Center. NHLC will continue to collect donations on behalf of the New Hampshire Food Bank.

“The New Hampshire Food Bank performs an extraordinary service working to deliver nutritious food to the thousands of Granite State residents who simply do not have enough to eat and NHLC is pleased to support those efforts,” said NHLC Chairman Joseph Mollica. “NHLC is grateful for the generosity of our staff and customers in support of this important cause and we look forward to continuing to support the New Hampshire Food Bank’s efforts to fight hunger in New Hampshire.”

In addition to the New Hampshire Food Bank, NHLC has worked with suppliers, brokers and customers over the past five years to raise more than $1.47 million for nonprofit organizations making an impact in New Hampshire and beyond, including Community Foundation Sonoma County, the Napa Valley Community Foundation, Best Buddies New Hampshire, Currier Museum of Art, Easterseals New Hampshire, Homes for Our Troops, Operation Care for Troops, Toys for Tots, Granite United Way, Concord Hospital, Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire, Crotched Mountain Foundation, Wildlife Heritage Foundation of New Hampshire, and the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association.

“Our goal at the New Hampshire Food Bank is to eliminate hunger in New Hampshire altogether. While we are always making progress toward that goal, food insecurity continues to be a major issue in New Hampshire where more than one in nine residents do not know where the next meal is coming from,” said Eileen Liponis, executive director of the New Hampshire Food Bank. “Contributions like these go a long way toward achieving our ultimate goal. We are extremely grateful to NHLC and its customers for their continued support, which is having a real impact on our efforts to distribute nutritious food to those most in need all over the state.”

The timing of this donation is especially important as summer is a challenging time for many of the children and families served by the New Hampshire Food Bank. Many food insecure children rely on free and reduced school meals, which are not an option during summer months.

To meet the need, the New Hampshire Food Bank delivers nutritious food to more than 425 partner agencies statewide, including local food pantries and soup kitchens in the Claremont area and the state, along with after-school programs, senior centers and other nonprofit feeding programs. During 2017, the New Hampshire Food Bank distributed 13.7 million pounds of food to its partners. This year, due to the growing demand, the New Hampshire Food Bank expects to distribute more than 14 million pounds of food. For more information and to donate, visitNHFoodBank.org.